Mosquito transmited human diseases

EEE is maintained in a transmission cycle involving Culiseta melanura mosquitoes and birds. People and horses are infected by other mosquito species that feed on the infected birds and subsequently feed on mammals.

Ilheus encephalitis is caused by the Ilheus virus (genus Flavivirus) that is transmitted by different mosquito species. This encephalitis is endemic to eastern Brazil and other parts of south and Central America.

Malaria is not a public health concern in North America, but people who travel to or have lived in other areas of the world may be at risk and should be familiar with the symptoms of the disease and the drugs used to prevent infection.

Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) is a mosquito-borne viral disease of humans, affecting the central nervous system and able to cause death. It occurs naturally throughout the northern half of Australia, Papua New Guinea and eastern Indonesia.

Sindbis fever is a febrile illness of humans in Africa, Asia, Australia, Middle East, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, transmitted by culicine mosquitoes and is caused by the Sindbis virus.

Sylvatic, or jungle, yellow fever occurs in tropical rainforests and is caused by an arbovirus of the family Flaviviridae. This infectious disease is passed onto humans by infected sylvatic mosquitoes, which get the virus by feeding on ill monkeys. Cases are usually sporadic with mostly young men working in the forests affected.

WEE is normally maintained between Culex tarsalis mosquitoes and birds. People and horses are bitten by Cx. tarsalis during the late summer months (mid-July through early September) in wet years when this mosquito is produced in abundance.

California encephalitis is yet another human illness spread by mosquitoes and caused by a California encephalitis virus group. This condition is endemic to the midwestern United States and primarily affects children between 5-10 years of age.